Resilient driving connection



G. M. EATON.

RESIUENT DRIVING CDNNECTION.

APPLICATION FILED 001.25. 1921.

Patented May30, 1922.

INVENTOR fieorqe/Zfman ATTORNEY WITNESSES: ZR.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE M. EATON, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO WESTINGHOUSEELECTRIC & MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

RESILIENT DRIVING CONNECTION.

Application filed October 25, 1921.

Z 10 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE M. EATON, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in ResilientDriving Connections, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to resilient driving connections and particularlyto those of the quill type such as are used in electric locomotives.

My invention has, for one of its objects, the provision of a structurewherein spring elements are not subjected to bending stresses such asoccur in structures of the usual type whenever relative movement occursbetween the quill and the driving wheel, whether in a radial or in anaxial direction.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a yieldable unit thatmay be conveniently assembled and which obtains a minimum number ofparts.

Still another object of my invention is the provision of a coupling thatis simple in design and eiiicient in operation.

I accomplish the foregoing by means of the construction illustrated inthe accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a view partially in elevation and partially in section, of aportion of a locomotive driving wheel having my invention appliedthereto, and

Fig. 2 is a sectional View of the mechanism of Fig. 1.

A locomotive driving wheel 3 is secured to an axle 4 in the usual mannerand is driven by a quill 5 that is provided with arms 6 upon which theyielding units are mounted.

Each of the yielding units, only one of which is shown, consists of acasing 8 of tubular form that is secured to one of the quill arms 6 bymeans of a bracket-like extension 9 and bolts 10. If desired, the member8 may be formed integrally with the quill arm.

A helical spring 11 is disposed in the casing 8 and is maintained inposition therein by means of two cup-like members 12 that are providedwith flanges at their inner ends. Retaining rings 13 are pressed intothe ends of the casing 8 to hold the members 12 in place. The members 12are slidably supported by the casing 8 and the retaining rings 13, andthe spring 11 is placed under Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 30, 1922.

Serial No. 510,354.

initial compression when the unit is assembled, thus preventing rattlingof the'parts.

The driving wheel 3 is provided with spokes 15 to which abutment blocks16 are secured. The blocks 16 receive the thrust of the quill, and thequill may move either radially or longitudinally without distorting thesprings 11 or subjecting them to bending stresses because the members 12are free to slide on the block faces.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that the spring unit, besides beingrelieved of bending stresses, is supported entirely by the quill which,in turn, may be yieldingly supported from the locomotive journal boxesin the usual manner. I

It will be further observed that the yield ing unit may be assembledwith a minimum amount of effort and that the employment of the retainingrings 13 makes the use of bolts or clamping devices for holding thesprings in place unnecessary. Furthermore, under operating conditions,the reaction of the spring is against the frictionally held retainingmember 13 which will be forced out of the casing 8 by excessive strainsand there are no bolts or clamps to be broken under abnormal strains, asin structures heretofore employed.

Various modifications may be made in the invention without departingfrom the spirit and scope thereof, as defined in the accompanyingclaims.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination with a driving member and a driven member, of aspring element supported by one of said members and provided with aretaining means that is movable, under abnormal pressure, in thedirection of reaction.

2. The combination with a quill drive, of a flexible driving elementretained in operative position by a frictionally held member.

3. The combination with a quill drive, of a flexible driving elementretained in operative position solely by frictionally held retainingmeans.

4. The combination with a driving member and a driven member, of aspring element supported by the driven member and provided with aretaining means that is movable, under abnormal pressure, in thedirection of reaction.

5. The combination with a driving member and a driven member, of aspring eleinent held in operative position on the driving member by africtionally-held member. 6. The combination with rotatable driving anddriven members, of a cylinder disposed tangentially of one of saidmembers,

a yielding element supported in the cylinder in position to serve as adriving means, and a ring in press-fitted relation to the cylinder forretaining the yielding element in operative position.

7. The combination with rotatable driving and driven members, of adriving element interposed therebetween consisting of a spring, a springhousing, a slidablespring 15 seat and a bushing press-fitted to thehousmember for retaining the seats in operative position. v

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 21st dayof October,

GEORGE M. EATON,

